A New Leaf (LapisXPeridot)
by TheOneFlamingWaffels
Summary: Lapis and Peridot are moved in together, and trying to get along. However, someone else has some different plans for the two of them... LapisXPeridot StevenXConnie GarnetXHerself Possible PearlXAmethyst
1. A New Beginning

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

The Crystal Gems had left, finally. From this moment on, it would be Lapis and Peridot, Living alone in the barn together. At least, Peridot thought, she would have someone to talk to. However, it seemed that Lapis was in no mood to do so. She sulked around the barn in her usual fashion since her newly proclaimed freedom. For the first twenty minutes or so, Peridot was okay with it, but after that, the looming, watery gem made her feel highly uncomfortable.

"Alright Peridot," She spoke to herself, her quirky, high pitched voice peaking. "Just make for small talk. Get each other on comfortable terms." She sighed. Usually, she would say these things into her recorder, but Lapis Lazuli had crushed it in her bare hands. Part of Peridot wanted to be angry, infuriated at Lazuli for breaking her one and only true possesion, besides the TV and some old VCR tapes, but another part of her saw reason and sympathy for her actions. She knew that if she were in the water gem's shoes, she wouldn't have just crushed the recorder.

She began to practice her lines.

"So, what do you say we get to know each other, eh Lazuli?" She said quietly on the couch. "I'm Peridot, although you already knew that, just as I know you are Lapis Lazuli! Now, I know our arrangements may still be a bit... cross, but I assure you that we can become good friends in ti-"

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Lapis Lazuli questioned, now standing in front of the green gem.

Her sudden appearance made Peridot jump back in what was half surprise, and half fright with a bit of a screech.

"LAPIS," The green gem started, taking a few deep breaths. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that!"

"I didn't... sneak." Lapis said back, her facial expression still keeping to her usual, almost gloomy look. "I just walked up here. You shouldn't get so lost in thought."

"Yes, well, Ahem... since you are here, engaging conversation with me, Peridot-"

"I know who you are."

"...Yes, as I know who you are, Lapis Lazuli. Now, I realize that our arrangements may still be a bit... Cross, but I assure you that in time we could become-"

"You still worried about that, Peridot? Seriously, You didn't seem too worried when I saved you from those Rubies, or when you were telling me about Yellow Diamond."

"That was simply because I was anxious! I acted without thinking, therefore the consequences of such-"

"Peridot, relax, we're cool, okay?"

"Cool?"

"Oh, It's a human slang. It means... Interesting, but, the way I'm using it now, it means that there aren't any bad feelings between us."

"Really? Even after I locked you in a cage, was somewhat to blame for your fusion with Jasper, and almost got everyone killed by a gigantic fused Ruby?"

"Do you WANT there to be bad feelings between us?" Lapis said, her face twisting a bit more toward the angry side, and her voice raising slightly.

"N-no," Peridot answered, rubbing her arm and looking downward, obviously somewhat intimidated by her. Without her limb enhancers, Peridot was practically harmless, and an easy target for an angry Lapis.

"Then you'll keep what's in the past, in the past. I'm giving you a second chance because all the other gems believe you've turned over a new leaf."

"A new leaf?"

Lapis sighed. "More slang." She said, "It means to start over, in a way, become a better gem."

"Right..."

"I'm going to go relax, but I wanted to tell you that. I figured if you called Yellow Diamond a Clod to her face, you're in my good book." Lapis said as she walked downstairs, heading outside of the barn. Peridot did not say anything else, nor did she look in that direction. Instead, she stared at the ceiling, letting out a sigh.

"Great Job, Peridot..." She mumbled to herself. "You sure made for an amazing conversation."

* * *

"Great Job, Lapis." Lapis Lazuli muttered to herself as she sat down on the silo. "Great way to set the record straight. You totally didn't make things more awkward."

She layed back, looking out into the shifting landscape. This country, this land is what she had wanted when she told Steven where she wanted to live. It took him convincing her to live with her former captor, but it was worth it. The peace, the quiet, and with just a little bit of company.

Lapis wasn't sure if she could be friends with Peridot. However, Peridot only did what she was told by the Diamonds themselves. And a millennia ago, she herself was doing the same thing. And now, again, they were following the same, strange path. Stowing away on Earth, away from the influences of Homeworld, secret guardians of the plant.

Well, guardians was overdoing it. That was the Crystal Gem's job. All she wanted to do was be free, live here, and live happily. No more confinement, no more orders, no more judgement.

No more Homeworld.

She let out a happy sigh, a smile slipping onto her lips as the wind began to blow. "No more Homeworld." She muttered to herself. "I've never been happier to think of that."

* * *

 **Hey guys, So I'm back, and writing more fanfiction! This Chapter is EXTREMELY short, but I promise chapter 2 will be longer. I just needed to get some ground to stand on while I write the next chapters. Please follow the story and tell me what you think about it honestly. I'm trying to improve my writing.**

 **Thank you all!**


	2. One Door Closes

"No way, you can float?" Connie asked excitedly, tracing her fingers on the sand of the beach. She was dressed in her usual attire, dawning an extra straw hat.

"I wouldn't really say FLOAT." Steven answered, eating a hot dog he had purchased from the nearby stand. "More like, controlled falling and... jumping!"

Connie giggled. She still couldn't quite believe that her only friend was half alien with super powers, no matter how long they were together. And with every new ability he learned, she grew more and more amazed.

"It's still cool! You should totally show me! Please Steven?" She exclaimed, clenching her fists with excitement. Steven seemed a bit hesitant at first, given it was a newly discovered power that he was still getting a feel for, but one look at Connie's subliminaly begging smile changed his mind. He let out a laugh.

"Alright, alright!" He said, finishing his hot dog. Afterword, her got into a ridiculous jumping stance, one that made Connie giggle, and jumped into the air, much higher than the temple or any landmarks nearby. Connie was dumbstruck. She couldn't laugh, couldn't smile, all she could do was stare at Steven, who at this point was so far away she could barely make out any features of his body.

Steven laughed again. He couldn't make out what Connie was doing, but he was sure that what he did impressed her. From out here, he could gaze over Beach City, and he saw all the way to the Barn, which had some strangely bright lights coming from it.

"What's going on over there..?" He asked himself, speeding up his descent to meet with Connie.

* * *

 **AT THE BARN** Peridot was working on a new project. One that was sure to even the odds with Lapis Lazuli. For the past couple of days, she had been almost avoiding Peridot, but that was about to change. She was going to build something that she was sure her and Lapis would have fun with. A somewhat primitive, yet, Peridot had to admit, FUN object known to the humans as a "Water Gun." Hers, however, would be far superior. Painted green, and made of light yet durable Aluminum, it would be more powerful than that of human creation, and more efficient.

Peridot didn't know much about Lapis, but she knew that water was her element. And if Peridot had control over that element as well, she could at least strike up conversation.

"Just... a bit more." She muttered as she welded the last peice onto the gun. "Aha! My weapon!" she yelled, smiling a quirky yet confident smile. She picked it up, and trotted outside with it. It was light and durable, just like she wanted.

"Perfect..." She said as she filled it up with water from a water hose built from the side of the barn. She snickered, letting water reach the brim, and closing the cap, pumping it up and looking for Lapis.

* * *

Lapis was resting on the roof of the barn, still taking in the natural beauty of the land before her. The past couple days, that's all she had been doing. Earth had changed so much. Cities had sprouted, settlements had dotted the land, but she was happy that there were at least some parts of the planet still almost untouched by noisy city life. Here, it was quiet. Well, most of the time. She tried her best to ignore the noise Peridot kept making inside, and she was somewhat successful. After a while, the noise stopped, and Lapis returned to her normal, peaceful gaze. That was, until a jet of water hit the back of her head.

Startled, she whipped around, looking at her attacker, who was Peridot, holding some strange contraption half her size in her hands.

"Ahah! I've got you now, Lapis Lazuli! She yelled, firing another jet of water onto her.

"What... are you doing?" Lapis asked calmly, her facial expression turning to that of annoyance as she crossed her arms.

"I am spraying you with water. Steven told me that humans sometimes like to do this as a... bonding activity. Therefore, I thought-"

"That you could spray me with water and we would be friends?" Lapis interrupted, looking at her slyly.

"Well, when you say it like that..." Peridot meekly replied, lowering her gun.

"Yeah. Why don't you stop that then?" Lapis said, turning back to the land before her.

Peridot thought for a moment, looking at her gun, considering turning around and going back inside. And for a moment, she almost did. But her stubbornness got the better of her.

"I didn't work on this for a whole day for you to reject my challenge, Lazuli!" She yelled firing another jet at the back of her head. She didn't move. Peridot, who was still holding the gun, began to sweat nervously, feeling the angry aura coming from the other end of the roof. In one last attempt, she squirted another jet at her, to which Lapis turned around, raising her hand, making the water whip back around and jet Peridot hard in the face.

"HEY!" Peridot yelled, recoiling from the shock and wiping her face off. "You can't spray me with my own ammunition! That's against the rules!"

Lapis couldn't help but crack a smile at the idiot, and with that smile came a chuckle.

"You don't want to fight me with my element." She remarked coolly. Peridot grumbled and yelled, "FOLLOW THE RULES AND I CAN"

Lapis was annoyed at first, but she soon realized that annoying Peridot was probably the most fun she'd had in a long time, so she stood up.

"Fine. I accept your challenge."

"And you'll play by the rules?"

"Whatever."

"Then meet me on the ground!" Peridot yelled, climbing down from the roof. Lapis chuckled to herself and jumped down, landing in front of her.

"Are you ready, Lazuli?"

"Ready."

"Then prepare yourself for the greatest battle this primitive planet will ever see!" Peridot yelled as she pumped her gun. "And I will emerge victorious!"

* * *

Peridot walked back into the barn, soaking wet, a sore expression on her face as Lapis followed, still as dry as when they started.

"How was your victory, Peridot?" Lapis said cockily, ginning from ear to ear. "Oh, what was that? You lost? Oh dear, better luck next time."

Peridot growled at her, mumbling something under her breath as she dried herself with a towel.

"Next time, Lazuli, next time."

"Well, it's been somewhat enjoyable, but I'm going to go now." Lapis said, turning away. "I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Peridot called as she was about to leave. "Don't you... want to stay for a while longer? I can show you this activity Steven left for us, and-"

"I don't want to play any games with you." Lapis said, turning her head to look at her.

"Come on, I've been trying repeatedly to interact with you for two days now, and you've only just now accepted my offer. Can't you just humor me for a few more minutes?"

"I want some peace and quiet."

"You've had your peace and quiet for a while now." Peridot grumbled, looking at her.

"That doesn't mean I can't want some more. Let me be."

"But, Lazuli I just,"

"Why do you want to hang out with me so badly?" Lapis asked, in more of an annoyed way than an inquisitive way.

"It just gets a bit... Lonely in here." She answered, looking down a bit. A silence filled the room. Lapis, who, at this point, had just looking back, started to turn her whole body. She walked over to Peridot, who started to smile, sure that she was getting through to her, and that she would stay. That illusion din't last long, however, as when Lapis knelled down to get eye level with Peridot, her gaze was like a knife, peircing through Peridot's very being.

Peridot gulped as Lapis began to speak.

"Peridot. You know nothing about loneliness." She grumbled, her tone firm and angry. she stood back up, clenching her fists. "So don't you ever use that as an excuse."

Perdiot was about to say something, but before any words could escape her mouth, Lapis had flown away on watery wings.

* * *

 **I know, I know, another short Chapter. Sorry guys, but I wrote all I thought was necessary for it. Anyway, Just some filler here, I don't know when I'll introduce the big plot, but it won't be that long before I do. Hell, maybe even in the next chapter. Anyway, tell me what you think. Thanks for a good review so far! Also, one last thing. I don't know if I'll do any more ships besides those mentioned in the description, but If you'd want to see Pearl or Amethyst shipped, post it and I'll try to write it up! Kris Out. Bai Baii!**


	3. Can We Talk?

Two more days had gone by, and rather peacefully at that. Peridot and Lapis Lazuli had kept their distances, every now and again exchanging words with one another. A routine had formed. In the morning, Lapis would fly over the surrounding areas, free as an eagle, as Peridot watched from the ground, building something in the front yard of the barn. Around midday, Peridot would be inside watching Camp Pining Hearts while Lapis would walk around the property, and in the evenings and nights, Lapis would gaze about the stars while Peridot would try to repair the vehicle in the barn. Today, however, was different. The wind was blowing, the sky was darkening, and everything told Peridot it was about to rain. And so, as to notify Lapis Lazuli, she called out.

"Lapis! It's about to rain! You should come inside!"

Lapis hopped down from the roof, her usual resting place, and stood in front of the green gem. She looked down at her, raising an eyebrow as the wind began to pick up.

"Rain?" she asked, seeming almost doubtful of Peridot's words.

"Rain is the human terminology for the process in which water falls from the sky, which can also result in bolts of electricity forming and striking the ground." She explained, stepping out of the way for Lapis to enter. However, she did not.

"I don't mind getting wet." Lapis remarked, to which Peridot sighed and began to walk inside. "Although, it's starting to get boring up there, so I'll come inside with you."

Peridot kept walking. "I understand, you do not wish to- Wait what?" She asked, turning around to face Lapis, who was walking inside as well.

"I'll come inside for a while and wait out this 'rain' with you." the watery gem said, making her way to the middle of the barn.

"Oh, Great!" Peridot said happily, striding over to Lapis. She looked up to her, clearing her throat before speaking. "So, what would you like to do, Lapis? There's plenty in here to do like... Watch.. Camp Pining Hearts! That's a enjoyable activity, I think."

"Right... What else is there to do?" Lapis asked,looking at the gaping hole in the wall.

"Er... We could, build things!" The green gem remarked, flashing a confident smile.

"I'm not much for building things."

"We could.. Play this board game Steven left us!"

"I don't want to learn how to play."

"We could... sample this human cuisine left for us?"

"Gems don't need food."

Peridot sighed. It was already difficult enough trying to bond with Lapis, and she wasn't making it any easier.

"How about we just... Talk?" Peridot asked, holding her arm as the first raindrops began to fall. Lapis looked back at her for a moment, watching the rain fall behind her. The sky was really beginning to get dark, and the light that shone in from the door coated the truck and the immediate flooring with a dim, pale white light. Behind those areas, it was nothing but darkness.

"...Well, sure. We can talk."

Peridot smiled. at least she was making progress. "Then come with me." She said as she sat on the tailgate of the truck, patting the place beside her, indicating where Lapis should sit. Hesitantly, Lapis did move there, sitting down next to her.

"Where... Should we start?" Peridot asked, nervously looking up at Lapis, who was still staring at the hole.

"How about you tell me why that gaping hole is in the wall?" The blue gem asked, pointing to it. Peridot sighed, knowing that if she were to dodge this question, it could likely mean disrupting the conversation as a whole.

"That is from when... Pearl and I battled to see who the better gem was." she remarked, a hint of green developing on her cheeks.

"Wow, Peri, didn't know you had that in you."

"Peri?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm gonna call you now. Peri."

"The shortening of one's name implies that the other knows them well enough to-"

"It implies that I don't want to say Peridot every time I talk to you."

"Riiiight, Tell yourself that, Lazuli." Peridot said, crossing her arms. Her sarcastic tone made Lapis chuckle. Hearing such a sound come from her made Peridot smile. It meant that she was getting through, at least a little. By this time, the rain was coming down hard, a constant rumble echoing through the barn.

"So, who won?"

"No one, it was a draw."

"What makes me think you weren't too happy about that?"

"I admit I wasn't at first. I was ashamed that I had been bettered by a mere Pearl. However, I soon came to realize that Pearl is... more than just a mere Pearl."

"Aw, how sweet."

"Quiet, Lazuli."

There came a moment of silence after those words. Though, this silence was not one of Anger or Awkwardness, but more of a peaceful quiet. They sat there as Lapis Lazuli examined the falling rain, almost wincing at the light "da" noise every drop would make when it fell on the roof.

"How did you know what Rain was called, Peri?" Lapis asked, looking down at her.

"Ah, well, Steven told me." she responded.

"Steven sure told you a lot about Earth, didn't he?"

"Well, the Crystal Gems destroyed my limb enhancers, and therefore any knowledge I could obtain about this planet."

"I noticed you were a bit shorter."

"I'm not short! You, Lapis, are just abnormally tall!"

"Just like every other gem?"

"There are gems my height!"

"Whatever."

Peridot growled, crossing her arms. "Alright, Lazuli," She said as she sat up straight. "Now, you tell me something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why do you fly every morning like that?"

Lapis hesitated for a moment, looking away toward the open barn door. She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. The sudden silence gave Peridot the notion that she had somehow, yet again, offended her, and out of fear, she apologized.

"I'm sorry." She said quickly, throwing her hands up. "I... guess I shouldn't have asked.

Lapis looked at her for a moment, a bit confused, before answering. "No, It's fine, really. I just had to think."

Peridot nodded understandingly, giving the watery gem enough time to respond.

"I guess," She began, "It's because I'm finally free. I don't have some kind of cage that I'm confined to."

"You were only trapped by us for a collective of few weeks, though. It wasn't that long."

Lapis gripped her arms, sighing.

"Let's just say that you weren't the only ones to imprison me."

Peridot read her body lanquage. She had shrunk back, almost as if the thought of whatever she spoke of brought her great discomfort, and with every word that slipped from her mouth, a hint of pain sounded in her voice. With that, she decided not to press.

"Well, in any case, I suppose I should ask about your gem weapon. It's Waterkenesis?" Peridot asked, looking at her with something like admiration in her eyes. Lapis Lazuli nodded.

"That's my weapon. I can control water. What's yours?"

"My weapon?"

"Yeah, what IS your Gem Weapon, Peri?"

Peridot thought for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak, although no words came out. She thought again for a moment before looking back up at the blue gem before her, giving nothing but a weak shrug. Lapis, as Peridot did before, decided not to press, and with all this awkward conversation boundary crossing, she decided to change the subject.

"Why don't we do something else?" Lapis meekly said, looking back out into the rain.

"What else is there to do?" asked the green gem, crossing her arms.

Lapis thought a moment, wanting to get off the truck and out of the conversation quickly.

"What is 'Camp Pining Hearts'?" she asked. Peridot only smiled.

"Come with me." She responded, hopping off the truck and running into the foreboding darkness. There was a slightly unnerving sound that came from there, most likely from the lips of Peridot, before a light blue light suddenly flashed from the television screen, lighting its respective corner that held the couch and the box of VCR tapes. The gem stood in the blue light with a nervous smile, panting as she picked up a VCR tape marked "Pining Hearts Season 1".

For some reason, Lapis got the feeling that she wasn't going to enjoy what would come next.

* * *

No amount of constant rainfall could tune out Peridot's incessant ranting. Percy and Pierre, the contextual relationships built from the ground up, the way every small detail interconnected. She must have been going on about this for at least half an hour. Lapis had began to drift her attention to other things, like how nice the light looked on the wall. Yes, very nice. Much nicer than imagining Percy and Pierre having it out next to an Oak tree. Couldn't she have summed this up quicker? She could have done a short rant and gotten the same information out in a much more time efficient manner, but no, she Had to keep talking... and talking... and talking..

"Are you listening Lapis? I'm about to get to the REALLY good part." Peridot said, a confident smirk now on her face.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Hey Peri, why don't we watch something else?"

"Something else? But why would you want to indulge yourself in anything other than-" She stopped talking when Lapis flashed her a "I'm not dealing with your crap today" kind of look. Peridot gulped, still intimidated by the water gem, and digged into the box for some more tapes.

"There's, uhm, "The Parent Trap," "The Beauty and the Beast", "Titanic"..."Star Wars Episode 5" ..." She began, fingering various tapes cautiously.

"How about Beauty and the Beast?" Lapis asked, drearily looking onto the blank, blue screen before her. Peridot nodded and put the tape into the player, shifting back over to Lapis on the couch. Lapis sat on one side of the couch, while Peridot sat on the other, both awkwardly waiting for the Movie to start.

* * *

"When are we going to see this 'Beast'?"

"Lapis, everyone on this film looks like a beast."

"Especially this.. Gas..ton?"

* * *

"This is ridiculous! No one in their right mind would keep pestering the same woman who wants nothing to do with them when they have dozens of admirers already."

"I think that's the point Peri. He's not in the right mind."

* * *

"He's not a beast! Peri, he's just a cute ball of Fur!"

* * *

"The objects can talk..?"

"Can all objects talk?"

"I don't think so, otherwise she would not be so surprised."

"Yeah."

* * *

"That's a... primitive form of caging."

"How about we skip this part?"

"We will miss very important plot elements should we skip this scene."

"Fine... Fine."

* * *

"He has QUITE the temper, huh Peri?"

"Reminds me of someone else I know..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, you're right."

* * *

"He shouldn't yell at her! It wasn't her fault those animals attacked her."

"She shouldn't have run."

"She deserves her freedom."

"But the agreement they made-"

"I would run too."

"Sometimes... you have to just deal with it."

"What would you know about that?"

"Nothing, Lapis, let's just watch the movie."

* * *

"Aw, He's a gentle giant too"

"I suppose he can be somewhat affectionate."

* * *

"Why can't they leave them alone?"

"Because Gaston is a dimwit."

* * *

"Don't you think killing him was a bit... harsh?"

"I suppose, however, the-"

"Don't rant. Please."

* * *

"Well, That was nice." Lapis said as he gleefully smiled at the happy ending the movie provided. Peridot, however, was slouching a bit.

"I suppose so," She started, "But the characters were portrayed to be extremely sh-"

"Let's just leave it at it was a good movie." Lapis interrupted, looking out to the barn door, of which still stood agape, letting the sound and sight of rain into the barn. It was really starting to get dark at this point. Night was almost upon them. Without a word, she stood up and hopped down to ground level, much to the green gem's surprise.

"Wait!" She called, walking over to the railing. "Where are you going?"

"I want to check out this... rain." She said before waltzing over to the entrance. Peridot, who at this point was a bit frightened by the surrounding darkness, grabbed a flashlight hidden under the couch, turned it on, and raced down the stairs. At this point the watery gem had already stuck her arm out into the rain, quickly becoming doused with water. By the time Peridot caught up with her, she was giggling and running out into the yard. Peridot lied the flashlight down as to encompass the yard with light, and walked out with her, quickly becoming absolutely drenched. Lapis Lazuli didn't seem to mind the water at all. She let out a soft giggle, starting to almost sort of dance around, swirling the rainwater in circles.

Peridot watched, unable to speak. There was some form of beauty and grace that she emitted that she couldn't quite wrap her head around. The watery gem seemed perfectly comfortable in her element, forming shapes with the water before dragging her hand across them, making them burst into a flurry of droplets which hit the ground with a soft "thud'. And while Peridot watched with some slight feeling of amazement, she failed to notice the ball of water heading straight for her face.

"AIEEE" she yelled as it burst, coating her with another layer of water. Lapis laughed as the green gem attempted to shake off, only to be covered by more rain.

"Why did you do that, Lazuli?! I thought we had this conversation two days ago!" she continued, looking furiously at the blue gem.

Lapis covered her mouth, composing herself. "Sorry," she said, "It's just funny to see you when you're angry."

"WHAT ABOUT THIS IS FUNNY?!" Peridot yelled, stomping her feet like a child, splashing water in every which direction.

Lapis held back her laughter, letting out a content sigh, and looking to the sky, noticing something new.

"The stars are out." She said calmly, walking over to the side of the barn, not letting her eyes off the sky.

Peridot looked up as well, noticing that night had completely befallen them.

"Good observation Lazuli." She said somewhat sarcastically as the blue gem sat with her back against the barn wall, looking up.

"What are you doing?" Peridot asked, walking closer to her. It took a moment for Lapis to respond.

"I'm stargazing." she said calmly, the rain bouncing off her skin with soft "pats". "Sometimes, Steven told me, Humans like to do this too. And they find pictures in the stars."

"Pictures? In the stars?" Peridot questioned, now standing next to her.

"Yeah, like... The Big Dipper." She continued, tracing the big dipper with her fingers. She stared at it for a moment before putting her arms back on her knees. Peridot sighed.

"Looking blankly into the sky seems like a waste of time." Peridot muttered, crossing her arms.

"Looking blankly into a screen while Camp Pining Hearts plays seems like a waste of time, but you still enjoy it, don't you?"

This put Peridot quiet for a few seconds. She thought about it, looking back up to the stars.

"I suppose you're right, Lapis." She said, sighing. The water gem did not respond at first, but after a while, she nodded, smiling at her small victory.

"Do you do this... Every night?" The green gem asked, looking down to her. Lapis, this time, did not answer at all. Instead, she merely stared into space, examining each star.

Uncomfortable, Peridot apologized. "I'm getting into your personal time, aren't I? Sorry, I'll go." She said as she stepped back toward the barn.

"No, wait," Lapis said, stopping her. "You can stay if you want. You already make enough noise in there at night as it is. It won't bother me if you're making a little noise out here tonight."

Peridot stood still for a few seconds before trotting over to Lapis Lazuli and sitting down next to her, the rain now bouncing off their bodies and onto each other. She smiled, knowing that with this, there was some kind of connection forming between them.

And so Peridot gazed into the stars, tracing the Big Dipper with her own finger a few times before setting her arm back down. She let out a sigh, part of her longingly reaching out to those stars, eager to be on her next mission, piloting the ship to a new planet with a new atmosphere. But another part of her held contempt for that life, and happiness for the ways she lived on Earth. Perhaps she was happy for the freedom that Lapis mentioned? The feeling of being able to steer her own destiny? The feeling of not being confined to that ship, to Yellow Diamond, to her superiors, anymore? If so, she thought that she could relate to her. At least a little.

"That one," Lapis said, interrupting Peridot even in thought, "Is Orion's Belt, I think."

"Orion's belt? That's quite a... strange name. I mean, who would have a be-"

"Peri..."

"...right. Sorry. Do you know anymore?"

"That there is the... The little Dipper. See? It's just like the big dipper but-"

"Smaller."

"Yeah, see. You're getting it."

* * *

"Honestly, the first thing that happens when I get out here is a rainstorm..." The gem sighed. Though, she supposed that she shouldn't have complained. The water was washing off the dirt from her body, and the darkness meant that she could travel without being spotted. Her objective was now clear. A simple reconnaissance mission. Find Peridot and get her help in locating Lapis Lazuli, who they would use to bring them home. Rose Quartz wasn't important. She would bring back reinforcements and take her and the Crystal Gems into custody.

Jasper sighed.

"This is going to be a serious pain in the ass."

* * *

 **Well, this took two days to write, but I'm not complaining. Okay, so, main plot introduced, sweet! Tell me what you guys think, really! Some StevenXConnie fluff coming up soon. Ruby and Sapphire, I've decided, will make an appearance. Anyway, Till Next Time! Bai Baii!**


	4. A Boy, a Girl, and a Brute

"Lapis?"

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore."

"Can't do what?"

"I cannot keep feeding you these lies."

"What lies? What are you talking about?"

"This movie... is terrible."

"What?" Lapis said, sitting up on the couch. "This movie is awesome."

Another three days had passed. Since then, Lapis had taken to watching all the movies in the box, just to see what they were like. Peridot had decided to watch them with her, but their tastes in movies were quite different. Peridot, surprisingly, gravitated toward romance movies, while Lapis liked more of musicals, with a somewhat serious plotline. And while they didn't speak much during these moments, they had become more and more comfortable around one another as each day passed. All in all, Peridot wasn't complaining. That was, until a movie like this popped up.

"Frozen," Peridot started, "Has a dull plot line full of nothing but overzealous Clods."

"You're just jealous of the fact that the main character is a Princess." Lapis said, smirking.

"I have no interest over such matters." she responded.

"Oh really, 'New Leader of the Crystal Gems'?" the watery gem remarked, now gazing down at Peridot.

"I did that so the Rubys would not bring harm to our friends." Peridot meekly replied, a flush of green washing over her cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

They turned their attention to the movie.

"This is the last one, isn't it?" Lapis asked, her arm holding up her chin.

"In the box, yes." Peridot responded, standing and stretching as the movie neared its end. "Would you like to aqquire some more?"

"I think after this I'm going to visit Steven." she said, watching the last few moments of the film.

"Steven? At the gem's house?" the green gem asked, now looking at her.

"Yes."

At this point the movie had ended, and Lapis had flashed her usual smile at the happy ending. That's something Peridot noticed she would do every time. It was a small thing to notice, but most of the things that she had begin to notice about her new roommate were small things. She never looked at Homeworld's galaxy in the sky. Her eyes always ran across the same constellations, almost as if she were studying them for some higher purpose. And it seemed that every morning, when she took off into the sky, she would look out at the barn, at the lawn, almost as if she were planning her route.

Peridot watched as she stood up from the couch, extending her watery wings. She stepped back, giving her room to take off, but she stayed still, looking at Peridot.

"Aren't you going?" Peridot asked, crossing her arms.

"I thought you might ask to come with me." Lapis mumbled, smirking. "But I guess if you want to stay behind..."

"No, no! I can come!" Peridot cried, running over to her. For a moment she stood there quietly. "Er, are we going to... walk?"

"Climb up. I'll fly us there." she said.

"Fly? With both of us?" Peridot yelled frantically, a flush of green spreading across her cheeks.

* * *

Steven took 10 paces, just as instructed. When he finished those steps, he heard the familiar voice speak to him again.

"Okay Steven." Connie spoke softly as she held his shoulders so he faced the right direction. "You can take the blindfold off now."

Steven let out a small laugh and took off the blindfold, opening his eyes to the somewhat brightly lit room. All over the walls of the temple were coated in happy birthday posters as well as multicolored balloons. The Crystal Gems and his Father were all around a table which held a chocolate cake and carefully wrapped presents.

"Happy 14 and a half Birthday!" they all called out, beaming.

Steven laughed and ran to them. "Guys! You threw me a surprise Birthday Party! With real chocolate cake!"

Amethyst let out a giggle.

"When have you ever had fake chocolate?"

Connie came from behind, speaking over his shoulder. "It wasn't much of a surprise, anyway. We told you we were all going to celebrate with you once everything was all over! You TOTALLY should have guessed what it was! Even... if it was a little late."

"Well, yeah, but I tried not to so I would still be surprised!"

All of the gems laughed at him, Amethyst especially. After the laughter died down, Garnet spoke up.

"Speaking of surprises, Steven, I believe we promised you something." She said as she began to glow, splitting into two from the middle, bursting into a blue and red being.

"Ruby! Sapphire!" Steven yelled, running up to them and giving them both a big Steven hug. They laughed and retuned it as Pearl started to cut the cake. Connie, Steven, Amethyst, Ruby and Sapphire soon joined her at the table. Pearl refrained from enduldjing herself in the cake, however, the other Gems, Greg, and Connie had no problem stuffing their faces with the sweet, moist pastry. They laughed and exchanged jokes and stories, including ones of the newly reformed Peridot and Lapis. Most of the catching up was done for Connie.

"Presents!" Steven yelled as Amethyst and Ruby carried them over to him. There were three medium sized presents, all of which were wrapped in white and red. Steven laughed and unwrapped the first present, of which was a present from Amethyst. Upon unwrapping, it was revealed to be a set of Crying Breakfast Buddies DVD sets.

"Haha! Thanks Amethyst!" Steven yelled, smiling from ear to ear.

"No problem. Just uh, don't make me watch it." she responded, giving a nervous smile.

"Aw, really? I thought you loved it!"

"Eh, It's... a show."

Steven didn't mind Amethyst's negative reaction to the show. It was still good in his eyes. He moved onto the next present, quickly unwrapping it and opening the box in which it was stored. Inside was a CD labeled "Garnet's Gotcha."

"Woah, a CD!" Steven yelled, looking at the label. "What's... in it?"

Sapphire and Ruby looked almost proudly at Steven, standing side by side, hands interlocking.

"It's a CD filled with music we thought you would enjoy." Sapphire said softly, smiling as Ruby continued. "Yeah! And we have a few songs that your Dad wrote too!"

"Now way, really Dad?" Steven asked, whipping around to face Greg.

"Well, I just thought that I could you know, like, make you a little something and all I'm... well, REALLY good at is music so..."

Steven hugged his dad. stars in his eyes.

"Thanks Dad, thanks guys! You're the best!"

Pearl laughed nervously, looking out among them

"Remember Steven, I still got you something." She said, giving a toothy smile.

"Oh yeah!" Steven yelled, turning and throwing the wrappers off of the soft present. Inside was a jacket, pink, with Steven's usual star. Steven laughed, giving Pearl a hug. "Thanks Pearl! I'll wear it now!" He said as he started to lift it over his head. He began to pull it over him, but he couldn't quite get it past his head. He struggled, pulling it downward, but getting nowhere.

"Uhm, a uh, little help anybody?" He called out somewhat helplessly.

Connie let out a giggle and walked over to his side of the table.

"Here, let me." She said, letting Steven calm down a bit as she twisted the hoodie around in the right direction, pulling it softly down his torso, revealing his curly hair and classic Steven smile. Her face instinctively heat up a bit at the sight of him.

Steven smiled at her, opening his eyes fully.

"Whoo! I was sure in some trouble, huh?" Steven said playfully.

Connie sneered along with most everyone else in the room.

"Well," Greg said, picking up a beach ball he had been hiding under the table. "How about we get some Birthday swimming done?"

"Swimming!" Steven said, throwing his hands up, and also his hoodie.

"Ah, but you just put... that on..." Pearl said with a hint of sadness in her voice. However, her pleas fell on deaf ears, for mostly everyone had already rushed out.

* * *

The flight over Beach City was surprisingly smooth. Peridot gazed out over the city as Lapis smoothly glided over the quiet town. The feeling of flying without a hunk of mechanical prowess behind her was so surreal. She hugged her back, pressing herself to Lapis as tightly as possible for fear of slipping off and falling.

"Doing okay back there?" Lapis asked, flying swiftly toward the temple. Peridot nodded in response, still in awe of the sight before her. Although, Peridot had no idea why she felt this way. She had seen more planets with much more majesty than Earth. Planets with more luxurious cities. Planets with a more beautiful atmosphere. But this, the feeling of soaring through the sky of a small planet, it was so much different.

"Well, tell me if you start to fall. I might consider giving you a soft landing." Lapis responded, smirking.

Peridot grumbled to herself. As Lapis Lazuli became more and more comfortable with her, her jokes got more and more annoying. But she supposed that she was overthinking them. Else they would be no more than simple jokes.

"We're getting close. I can see the beach house." Lapis remarked, starting to fly downward. "And it looks like they're all... in the ocean."

Peridot gulped. She still wasn't sure about Lapis's feelings over the ocean. The pond she had filled for her, she had dispised, saying that water had been "Her tomb." But at the same time, just a few nights ago she had danced in the rain as if she wanted nothing more than to be one with her element. She guessed that Lapis would be partial to water, no matter what memories it held.

"Alright. I'm landing." she called out just as she drastically sped her descent.

"Wait already?!" Peridot yelled as Lapis turned her body upright and landed firmly into the sands of the beach, knocking her off her back.

The gems all whipped around, looking at the source of the commotion that had just hit the sand. Apon seeing Lapis and Peridot, Steven, and respectively Connie, ran to them.

"Lapis! Peridot!" He yelled happily.

Peridot rubbed her head, almost as if to brush off the pain that was coursing through it. "Hello, Steven." she said.

Connie looked the duo over. "This is Lapis and Peridot?" She asked, almost dumbstruck.

Lapis sneered. "No, he just shouted that for fun."

Steven shook his head and pursed his lips.

"Laapiiiiis. Be nice." He spoke playfully. Lapis chuckled and looked back to Connie. "Yeah. I'm Lapis. Who are you?"

"My name is Connie! I'm Steven's friend!" she said, happily smiling and adjusting her glasses.

Steven started to kick his feet excitedly. "Didja come for my birthday? Did ya? Did ya?"

"Your... Birthday? It's today?" Lapis asked as Peridot stood up, dusting herself off.

"Well it was actually a few months ago but.. yeah! You came just in time! We were swimmin... er... yeah." Steven said, obviously still hesitant over her words from over a week ago.

"Swimming eh?" Lapis said, walking toward the ocean. "So, you're celebrating your... Birthday... by swimming? Couldn't you just do that any other day?"

Steven laughed. "Well yeah, but you're supposed to have fun on your Birthday. So, you know. We're swimming. For fun."

"Well, I could spice things up a bit for you if you'd like, Steven." the watery gem added, taking a bit of the water from her hands and forming it into a ball.

"Oh please, not THIS again." Peridot grumbled behind Steven and Connie.

"Are you gonna do cool water tricks?" Steven asked, who was soon joined by Connie, shouting "Water Tricks, Water Tricks!" over and over again.

Lapis laughed. "Well, I had already planned to do them, but even if I wasn't I don't think I could ignore your begging.

Soon after her words, she spun, a stream of water shooting up from the ocean and following her hand. She soon lifted her hand slowly, which resulted in the continuous stream of water coiling around her like a twirly light bulb. Once it reached the point of which it could coil no more, she threw her hands to her sides, which made each section of the coil break into its own stream and spiral outward, circling Steven, Connie, Herself, and Peridot.

The trio stood in awe. Lapis had preformed feats with water, but never to this extravagent nature.

"Go Lapis! Go Lapis! Go Lapis!" Steven and Connie yelled, watching the water as it took various shapes. A car, a fish, a dragon. They laughed and ran closer to the walls to get a closer look at the water.

Peridot, on the other hand, walked to Lapis, still admiring the wall of wonders before her. By the time she reached Lapis, streams if water began to spiral from wall to wall, almost hitting her a few times.

"Lapis... I knew water was what you were particularly good at manipulating, but I had no idea that it reached to this degree." she said softly.

"I can do whatever I want with water." She said.

"I know but-"

"Do you want to try?"

"I'm sorry, what? You know I can't-"

Before Peridot could finish, Lapis had taken her hand and kneeled so that she was eye level with her. Peridot blushed considerably deeply and laughed nervously, throwing her other arm outward and gulping.

"L-lapis? What are we doing?" she asked, flustered.

"Just trust me, huh?" Lapis responded, taking her other hand and interlocking their fingers, extending both their pointer fingers. With this motion, Lapis moved their arms, and wherever their fingers pointed, a stream of water burst from the wall and followed its lead.

Peridot, who was still trying to keep her cool, stammered.

"T-th-this is just you controlling this water. A-a Peridot can't man-"

"Hush, Peri. Move your arm away from mine."

Peridot nodded quickly and shakily separated her own arm from hers, her pointer finger still sticking out. As she did, the beam followed her. She stared in amazement. She didn't understand how it worked, but she didn't ask. Instead she held her hand out still in one place, not sure of what to do.

"Go ahead. Make something." Lapis said, looking into her eyes for a moment.

"What am I supposed to make?!" Peridot said, her cheeks tainted with a deep green.

Lapis chuckled. "Anything. Just think of something."

Peridot panicked for a moment. She still didn't know what to do. But after a few seconds of thinking, she took a deep breath and traced a shape with her fingers shakily.

Upon completion, Lapis chuckled.

"The Big Dipper?" Lapis cooed, looking back to Peridot.

"W-what's wrong with the Big Dipper? It's a perfectly-"

"Peri. It's fine. Good Job."

Peridot looked back at her, smiling nervously.

* * *

"What are they doing?" Steven asked, turning Connie's attention to the duo.

Connie stared at them closer, a small blush flowing across her cheeks.

"Steven, Let's uh, go and... start a fire!" She said, taking his hand and running through the wall of water.

"Wh-wha? A fire? O-ok!" He said as he ran with her back to the Crystal Gems.

* * *

"What's it like, being able to manipulate water as precisely as you can?" Peridot asked, staring at the water as she moved it around.

"You can feel it right now. Why don't you tell me?" Lapis said, watching her with half lidded eyes.

"Uhm, It feels..." Peridot paused, squeezing her hand with her off hand. "It feels like the water is... it feels as if it is an extension of myself. The same as my Limb Enhancers."

"That's basically it." Lapis remarked, her smile fading. "Peridot, do you know what it's like to live without your gem weapon- this extension of yourself for thousands of years?"

Peridot shook her head. "The closest thing to that that I've lost were my limb enhancers. They were like extensions of myself but.. they weren't me so... I don't..."

Lapis sighed, releasing her grip on her hand. The moment the last finger unlocked, the streams of water that surrounded them burst into small droplets of mist. "I'm sorry. We... I, got a bit carried away, didn't I?" she asked, standing back up.

"N-no, It's.. fine it was..." Peridot trailed off, and could only smile, the blush on her cheeks growing a bit smaller.

"Come on. Let's get what we came for."

* * *

The fire burned brightly as the sun began to set. The gems sat around the fire, Connie sitting behind Steven, hugging him from behind. This made Steven blush a bit, but didn't infringe on his Ukulele playing. Lapis and Peridot walked over soon after.

"Steven." Lapis said, smiling. "Can I borrow a movie?"

Steven nodded.

"Yeah. I have Finding Nemo in there! I'll show you!" He said as he started to get up. Connie, however, held him down, giving a "Nyuh" in protest. Red spread across his cheek as he chuckled nervously.

"It's alright, I'll show you." Amethyst said, getting up. "Follow me."

* * *

Jasper watched from afar as Lapis and Peridot followed Amethyst inside the temple. She thought for a moment, flexing her fist in anger.

What was that? Why was Peridot with the prisoner? And with the Crystal Gems? Not doing... Anything? And what was that water spectacle all about.

"Ah. I see." She spoke aloud. "Peridot is blending in. Gaining their trust. She's waiting for me to find her. Obviously, she can't stand up to them on her own, Especially after loosing those damn limb enhancers."

But she thought again. What if Peridot had sided with the enemy? What if she had betrayed the mission?

Eh, even if she did, it was under control. Jasper knew how to tame a stray gem, especially one as weak as a Peridot.

"She doesn't even have a gem weapon. She's harmless. She better hope she's still on my side."

* * *

 **WOW, okay, so I spent ALL DAY writing this. If you would, please, tell me what you think. Thank you for good reviews so far! Also, I know I said I'd put a bit more fluff, but that will come later, don't worry. Bai Baii!**


	5. One Night, One More Time

"This is Finding Nemo, Right?" Lapis asked, laying across the couch, her legs in Peridot's lap.

"Yes that's what it says on the case." Peridot said, watching the movie dully.

Lapis Lazuli sat up on the couch, scooting off to her knees and crawling over to the TV, putting her pointer finger on Nemo. "I found him." She said with a giggle. "Do I get a reward?"

"That's not how it works, Lazuli." Peridot muttered, obviously uninterested in what the movie was displaying. Lapis smiled. Another small thing that Peridot had noticed she had been doing more and more of. "Why don't we watch something you enjoy? Camp Pining Hearts?" Lapis asked, dragging the box of tapes toward her.

"Well, of course!" Peridot said, a snarky smile spread across her face. "We've already seen all of season 1. Put in the season 2 tape."

Lapis did as instructed and put the second season into the VCR. The usual loud noise at the beginning played, forcing the blue gem to cover her ears. Peridot wore a huge grin as she walked back to the couch. Since Lapis moved in she had wanted to show her the rest of the seasons of her favorite show. The first episode displayed nothing but stagnant camp rivalries. Lapis found it a tad redundant, but Peridot seemed to find the whole "Battle for Dominance" theme pretty interesting. Not surprising, considering her origin.

A few episodes later, Lapis was just about done watching the show, and was about to head outside to stargaze when the fabled "Intercamp Dance" came on. Lapis didn't understand what that was supposed to be, but the campers all dressed as if they were going to some high occasion, so she thought it must have been important.

"Peri, what's an 'Intercamp Dance?' " she asked, looking over to the green gem.

"It's when the camps all set aside their rivalries for one night and come to.. dance, with other campers." she answered. Lapis wasn't exactly happy with the response- it wasn't too in depth, but she supposed that it must have just been that simple.

At the scenes of the Dance, Lapis leaned in toward the TV, a confused expression on her face.

"Are they... trying to fuse?" she asked.

Peridot blushed slightly, knowing that fusion was a bit of a touchy subject. "N-no. It's not." She responded, collecting her thoughts as to explain it in the best way possible. "You see, gems dance for the sole purpose of forming a fusion. H-however... Humans dance... for fun. Or to, uh, show affection for another. By dancing with them."

Lapis was happy with that description, at least. Though, it still confused her.

"I just, can't see people dancing that way without wanting to fuse."

Peridot sighed. "It's hard to understand humans."

Lapis stayed silent for a moment, studying the movements of those on screen. She gazed into the crowds, at Percy and Pierre, at the way they all seemed to connect. And the more she stared, the more she realized something. She envied them.

"Peri." She said, almost whispering.

"Yes Lapis? What is it?" she asked, eyes glued to the screen.

"Do you think two gems could dance that way without wanting to fuse, and just... dance?" She asked.

Peridot thought about it for a moment. She didn't know of any accidental fusions happening between gems. At least not back on Homeworld. "I guess they could." she answered.

Another silence drew out between them. Lapis was the one to break it not long after it started.

"So, If you, I mean... Help me understand this. I want to try it." she mused.

Peridot's face began to heat up as she straightened herself, turning her head toward Lazuli.

"A-are you asking me to dance?" she yelled flustered, pursing her lips. Lapis didn't look at her. Instead she just nodded, still staring at the screen.

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this..." Peridot whispered as she set the record player up downstairs, where she had placed a flashlight on the ground as to light the room, at least somewhat dimly. She knew how the player worked. She grabbed a record, blandly labeled "Dance Music." She put it on the drive and put the needle on it, walking over to Lapis, who was somewhat nervous. Of course, Peridot came on her can stilts as to try and even out their height difference. Before they could meet, though, the record player started blasting some really bad 90's techno music. This startled the both of them, especially Lapis.

"This isn't the kind of music that was on Camp Pining Hearts!" She yelled, covering her ears. Peridot quickly ushered some apologies, blushing heavily, before rushing over and pulling the pin. She frantically looked at the other discs, picking the first one, which was labeled, "Please don't go."

She threw it on the tray, hoping that the song was appropriate. The sound of a man humming to a mellow beat was good enough for her. She stepped up to Lapis, neither of them saying a word. And while neither of them spoke, Lapis's look of approval said a thousand words.

Lapis took Peridot's hand, pulling her closer. Peridot blushed a bit, but did not falter. This was for Lapis, so there was no point in backing out now. They slowly moved back and forth as the song started.

 _ **Nobody ever knows. Nobody ever sees.**_

 _ **I left my soul**_

 _ **Back there, now I'm too weak.**_

Peridot let Lapis take the lead. At first, it was a simple exchange of steps, but after a few seconds, Lapis began to imitate what Percy had done on Camp Pining Hearts, and lowered her head, her forehead touching Peridot's.

 _ **Most nights I pray for you to come home**_

 _ **Praying to the Lord**_

 _ **Praying for my soul.**_

Lapis looked into Peridot's eyes, a slight blush forming on their faces. She pushed them apart slightly, spinning around and smiling.

 _ **Now Please, Don't Go**_

With that it only took a flick of her step to slowly spin Peridot around while she remained still. She completed the loop, pulling her close to her again.

 _ **Most nights I hardly sleep while I'm alone.**_

They reverted to their starting stance, Peri laying her head on Lapis's chest, regretting every decision she had ever made. Lapis seemed to be a bit nervous, too. They both knew that this was new territory for the both of them

 _ **Please, Don't Go**_

 _ **Oh no,**_

 _ **I think of you whenever I'm alone.**_

"Do you want to stop, Peri?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's keep going."

 _ **So Please Don't Go.**_

 _ **Mhmm, Mhhmm, Mhhmmm**_

 _ **Mhmm, Mhhmm, Mhhmmm**_

By this time they had begun to pick up the dance a bit more, spinning slowly in a circle as they stepped in sync. A smile began to form on their faces as they became less jittery and more attuned to each other's movements.

 _ **Cuz I don't ever wanna know**_

 _ **Don't ever wanna see things change**_

 _ **Cuz when I'm Livin' on my own**_

 _ **I wanna take it back and start again**_

Peridot was taken by surprise as Lazuli twirled around slowly, passing her up but still holding her hand. At this point, she was acting more on instinct than memory of what happened in the show, and Peridot saw that quite clearly. She stood still, shocked by her grace, even when collaborating with her complete opposite.

 _ **Most nights I pray for you to come home**_

 _ **Praying to the Lord**_

 _ **Praying for my soul**_

Lapis opened her eyes, getting a good look at the stunned Peridot. "We're dancing." She said, her eyes wide and her smile stretched long. "It's so, so... so cool! I can see why humans want to do this so much! Why they get excited over it! It's just.."

"Just..?"

"Fun!" Lapis yelled as she picked up Peridot, spinning her around while giggling like a little girl.

 _ **Now Please, Don't Go**_

 _ **Most Nights I hardly sleep when I'm alone**_

Lapis stopped spinning, setting Peridot down, who was now dizzy, disorientated, and blushing heavily, for reason of which she knew not. She herself had begun to laugh, too. For some reason, seeing Lapis this happy made her happy too.

 _ **Please, Don't go**_

 _ **I think of you whenever I'm alone**_

They pulled themselves back in close to each other as a dull light began to shine from their gems.

 _ **So Please Don't Go.**_

Lapis was the first to notice the light shining from the top of Peridot's head. She was confused at first, and more focused on the giggling green gem before her, but it didn't take long to realize what was happening. They were about to fuse. In the next split second, Peridot realized it too; however, it never came to be.

Lapis pushed her away, turning around toward the broken down truck that Peridot had still not been able to fix. She crossed her arms as her counterpart struggled to keep her balance.

"Lazuli, what was-"

"Turn it off." She said lowly.

 _ **I send so many messages, you don't reply**_

"What? The music? Lapis, I swear, I had no knowledge of what would-"

"TURN IT OFF!" She yelled, scrunching up and crouching down.

 _ **Gotta stick around, What am I missing, baby?**_

Peridot gulped, hesitantly walking over to the player and lifting the needle.

 _ **I need you now, I need your Lo-**_

She took a deep breath. She had just accomplished what she had never been able to do. Not with another Peridot, not with Garnet...

But with Lapis.

Well, almost. But, why her? Why when she wasn't trying, she got it right, but when she tried with all her heart to fuse with another gem, it didn't work? What was so special about Lapis Lazuli?

Peridot looked over to her in what little light there was in the barn. She stayed still, facing the truck and crouched down, not saying a word. She didn't understand what went wrong. She was so happy just a few seconds ago, but now everything seemed in shambles. She didn't know what to say. What was she even supposed to say?

She slowly stepped over to Lapis after taking off her can stilts. She walked right up beside her before speaking.

"I-i-i'm sorry, Lapis. Really, I-i had no idea we would, well I, you see it's.."

"It's okay, Peri. I believe you." she said, slowly and quietly.

Peridot kneeled next to her, trying to get a better look at her face.

"Are you okay, Lapis?" She asked, a genuine look of concern in her eyes.

Lapis looked into them, but the gaze she returned was watery, and hurt. Tears fell from her cheeks as she silently cried. Peridot was shocked. She had never seen her cry. Even when on the ship, and even in her troubled dreams, she never shed a tear.

"Lapis," Peridot called sadly, wiping away the tears from her eyes, now on her knees and looking at her intently. "What's wrong? Why are you so upset?"

Lapis caught her hand as it wiped away the tears, holding it to her face for a few moments before answering.

"Thank you so much." She said, her voice shaky. "Thank you for being here this last while. For caring, at least a little. It means a lot that you kept reaching out to me. Steven was right about you. I was alone for so long, I was trapped in that mirror for a melinia, and when I escaped I didn't trust anyone." By now she had closed her eyes and tightened her grip. "But I trust you, I really do. And You're... I just..."

With that, a few more tears rolled down her cheeks. Peridot shook her head, holding her face with both of her hands. She didn't know quite what it was she was doing, or what she was going to say, but she just went with her gut.

"Lazuli, we can speak of my greatness another time. Please, why are you crying?" She asked, wiping away the newly forming tears.

Lapis took a moment to respond, holding back her own emotions so she could shove her words out.

"I just... I can't. I can't fuse with you. I can't fuse with anyone. Not after I fused with Jasper. It's so-" She stopped, choking on her own words. Peridot didn't need to hear anything else.

"I didn't... I mean, It wasn't my intentions to fuse with you, Lapis. But I understand. I've never even had the ability to fuse before we danced. Even now, I don't... I don't think I could do it, even if I tried." She said to her, pulling her into a soft embrace. "But you... I don't know what happened, we, I.. Was just so happy, and when I looked at you, and I saw how happy you were, I..."

"I know, I Know," Lapis said, her voice peaking as she held back more tears, wrapping her arms around Peridot. "We were happy. We were going to fuse. But we didn't, and I'm still upset over it, even though it didn't happen. I'm causing more trouble than-"

"Lapis." Peridot said, interrupting the water gem for once. "Don't undermine the way you feel. I get it. I would be upset to."

There were no more words spoken. For those next few moments, whether they were minutes or hours, neither knew. They just sat there, holding each other through a flurry of mixed emotions and confusion, hoping that when morning came they could make scence of it all.

Before morning came, though, a large figure appeared at the barn door.

"Peridot. You can stop pretending now. We have a mission we need to complete." The voice called. Both of them remembered that voice.

"Jasper."

* * *

 **ALRIGHTY, this chapter is a wee bit shorter than the last two. But it's of decent length, eh? I don't have much experience writing these kinds of scenes, so i'm sorry if it's a bit clunky or strange. Either way, I really appreciate the feedback i'm getting from you guys. Thanks bunches! Please tell me what you think of this chapter. It might be a few days before I post another chapter, but I'll post ASAP, so don't expect to wait long! Bai Baii!**


	6. Someone Worth Fighting For

"Jasper." Lapis whispered, jerking her head up from Peridot's shoulder. Peridot sat completely still, realization of what trouble she was in coursing through her mind. She seemed to still think that she was on her side, so she wanted to use that to her advantage. But how?

"Well, it's great that you have the prisoner with you. I just hope you're not too friendly. Come on. Let's get back to Homeworld and get some reinforcments." Jasper said, her orange skin and wicked smile now visible. Her smile made Lapis shudder in fear.

"I'm not going anywhere." She said meekly, wiping the remaining tears away from her eyes before Jasper could see. "Right, Peri?"

Peridot was sweating now, every possible action she could take racing through her mind. She kept to her same position, eyes wide. Lapis looked at her, gritting her teeth at the fearful gem. She couldn't blame her. What could she do against her? She was a small gem with no weapon. No match for someone like Jasper.

"Don't worry. I've got this." She whispered, standing up very slowly.

"Don't do something you would regret." Jasper grumbled. "You're lucky I don't destroy you right now for keeping me trapped in the ocean for months. But you're going to bring us back to Homeworld."

"I'm not bringing you anywhere." Lapis said firmly, standing tall.

Jasper smiled. "You don't have a choice." She said as she dashed forward, right toward Peridot and Lapis. Lapis picked her green counterpart up, of who was then flailing about and yelling, flying straight up on watery wings, evading the hulking oarnge mass running for them, and setting her down on the upper level of the barn. She almost took off into the skies right there, but the only way out would have left her completley exposed to any one of Jasper's tricks.

"Stay here." She whispered as she looked into her eyes, fearful but pressing on. "I'll hold her off."

After those words she hopped down from the upper level, Peridot reaching for her, as if it would stop her.

"Good choice, not running." Jasper said, now turned to her. "I'm faster than you. And you forget that I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"I haven't forgotten anything." She responed, readying herself for a fight.

"Then you're a fool, for choosing to fight." the oarnge gem said, getting into a fighting pose.

From atop, Peridot watched them. She was still speechless. Her facade was probably broken by now. There was no hope in tricking Jasper. There was no hope in helping Lapis fight, either. What would she do besides get in the way?

Jasper charged at Lapis, who used her water manipulation to form the water vapor into solid aqua fists to throw a punch far away. She blocked it with ease, closing in on her and swinging, Lapis evading it. Jasper's fist crashed into the ground, creating a large cloud of smoke where the aqua gem once stood. Lapis had moved to the right, kicking her in the back of the head, to which had little effect, other than hurting her foot. She landed behind her, ready to evade again.

This time, Jasper whipped around, swinging at her. Lapis jumped back, but this time Jasper caughy her by the ankle.

"Gotcha!" She yelled as she threw her to the ground, throwing dust up into the air.

Peridot couldn't stand to watch anymore. She couldn't let Jasper lay another hand on her.

"WAIT!" She called, jumping down from the platform, rushing toward the towering Jasper. "Stop! Jasper!" she yelled. The oarnge gem whipped around to face her. "I'm taking you back too." She said with a smile. "Only thing is, I don't need you in your physical form to bring you there. So you can either submit, and save yourself a whole lot of pain, or I can just kill you right here."

Peridot froze once again, greatly intimidated. She whimpered as Jasper turned to her.

"Peri, stay back." Lapis muttered as she slowly pulled herself back to her feet. "Just stay away. I'll protect us."

Lapis had that look in her eye, and that determined tone in her voice. She knew that she was dead set on fighting Jasper alone, but she couldn't let her do that.

"I can help!" Peridot said as she raised her fists, only to be thrown aside and into the truck by Jasper. She hit the side of it hard, leaving a large dent as a wave of pain coursed through her body.

"Peri!" Lapis yelled, reaching for her. However, she knew that going to her would just result in her defeat, so instead she began to warp the water in the small pond outside that Peridot and Steven had built her. She grit her teeth.

Jasper, almost as if to taunt Lapis, walked over to Peridot and crouched down next to her.

"Don't get in my way." She whispered to her. Peridot was hardly keeping consciousness after a blow like that, only keeping one eye open.

"Don't you Lay another finger on her!" Lapis yelled, clenching her fists.

"Why don't you stop me?" Jasper mocked, standing up again.

"You asked for it." the blue gem said as a large hand made of water reached in through the hole in the wall and grabbed her before she could move. The oarnge gem struggled against it, summoning her helmet, which heated up, evaporating most of the water around her head, but before she could evaporate it all Lapis threw her on the ground, crushing her.

Jasper let out a cry of pain, her entire body heating up.

"What the..." Lapis whispered as her opponent began to boil the water.

"I'm not done yet!" she yelled, shooting up and spraying boiling water everywhere. Lapis molded the water so it would not hit Peridot, leaving her wide open to Jasper's uppercut.

Lapis grunted, falling down and holding her chin as she was lifted by her top. Jasper stared at her with menacing eyes.

"Face it. You're outmatched."

"Lap...Lapis.." Peridot cried out lowly, standing up slowly.

Jasper turned to her, still holding the watery gem and walked over, kicking her back down.

"Peri!" Lapis called as she was also thrown down.

"You two are pitiful." the warrior said to them, snickering. "It's actually pretty funny."

Peridot cursed at herself, slowly and shakily picking herslef back up.

"I need... to help Lapis." She whispered to herself, every movement sending a new wave of pain through her body.

Jasper saw this and pushed her back on the ground with her foot.

"Stay the HELL down!" She yelled, looking back to Lapis. "Now, take us back, and I'll be sure to get you a pardon on any displacancies against you, whatever they may be. Refuse and I'll kill Peridot, and crush her gem with my bare hands."

Lapis's eyes widened with fear as she looked away, defeated.

Jasper chuckled at her victory.

Peridot felt tears well up in her eyes. She couldn't help, not one bit. She didn't even have a weapon. Even if she did, what good would it do? She was a weak gem. An engineer. She was never meant to fight.

She winced as that sunk in.

There was no way she could beat Jasper. She wasn't meant to fight.

But neither were Pearls.

Peridot stopped moving a moment.

"Pearl has a weapon... but pearls aren't supposed to have weapons." she whispered wide eyed.

* * *

 _The sun was beginning to set over the barn. The drill was almost finished, and the gems were all around the camp fire. All except Peridot, who was still working, even though she was more exhausted than she had ever been working for Yellow Diamond. She needed to finish the drill, no matter what expense to her own health it took._

 _"Aww, the fire's getting low." Steven said, gazing into the dying flames. He looked up at the other gems, of whom were looking at each other. Whether it was laziness or exhaustion, none of them wanted to get up._

 _"I'll get some." Pearl said, standing up and stretching. Garnet and Amethyst nodded, leaving her to walk to the nearby woods. Peridot had not overheard the conversation, so she watched her in inquisition._

 _Once Pearl reached the woods, she summoned her spear and cut a tree down in a single swipe. Peridot gulped at the immense strength that her frail looking body held. This was the first time she really noticed her weapon, too. She was impressed, but also confused. No Pearls back on Homeworld posessed a weapon. She didn't even know that they COULD have weapons._

 _Pearl, at this point, had cut the tree into neat log slices, picking them up two at a time and bringing them over to the fire. She strided past Peridot, not glancing at her, and set them into the flames. Afterword, she turned around and headed for the woods again to pick up the rest of them._

 _"Do you require my assistance, Pearl?" the green gem asked, hopping down from the drill._

 _"Huh? Oh, yes, that would be great. Thank you." Pearl responded, continuing her walk. Peridot struggled to keep with her pace, being as her legs were too small, but she didn't fall back. She kept with her all the way to the treeline, where the logs were. Peridot could only pick up one, but she was sure that it would help in some way. Pearl, of course, picked up two and started walking back. Peridot, now more than ever, struggled to keep up. They brought the three back to the fire, only three more remaining, and headed back._

 _On the way, Peridot spoke up._

 _"Pearl. May I ask you something?_

 _Pearl jumped a bit. "What is it?"_

 _The engineer thought for a moment, collecting the words she would need to finish her statement before speaking. "Why do you have a weapon? I was under the notion that Pearls were incapable of summoning gem weapons."_

 _Pearl looked a bit suprised at her question, but nonetheless took a deep breath and answered. "Well, you see," She spoke, "I wasn't always capable of summoning a weapon. That was until I met Rose Quartz."_

 _"Rose Quartz?" Peridot asked, "The leader of the rebellion thousands of years ago?"_

 _"Yes. The very same one who gave up her physical form to produce Steven." She responded, nearing the treeline._

 _"Well how did she let you summon a gem weapon?"_

 _"She didn't just allow me to. She was the reason I did. I fought with swords crafted by homeworld blacksmiths in the rebellion, fighting my own battles. That is, until Rose found me." Pearl said, a slight blush forming on her cheeks as a smile slipped onto her lips. "She found me, all alone and told me to come with her. She sheltered me, saved me in what could have been my own demise. Then, after everything was settled, I decided to join her, and stay to fight along her side. That same day, she was ambushed."_

 _Peridot had begun to pick up a log, still listening to what Pearl had to say as she herself picked up the remaining two._

 _"I saw it happen. She was outnumbered, outmatched, and cornered. I watched, frightened because I was just a Pearl. I couldn't fight all of them. But then I thought about it. I knew that Rose's capture meant the end of the rebellion. And I knew, that I was in debt to her, and that I would do anything for her. She saved my life. The life I had chose to start anew. And at that moment I vowed I would be more than just a Pearl. Because... I had someone to protect."_

 _"And what does this have to do with your weapon?"_

 _"Everything. Because when I thought about protecting Rose, It just came so naturally. I drew my weapon from my gem, and I fought."_

* * *

Peridot shook her head. She couldn't let this go on. Jasper couldn't be allowed to hurt Lapis anymore. Not the Lapis she had come to know. The kind, playful, mischievous girl who spent her days at her side. No matter what pain it cost her, no matter what danger she faced, harm could not befall her. Lapis was someone worth protecting.

Someone worth fighting for.

Peridot stood up straight, wincing with the immense pain every movement brought her. Jasper turned around, glaring at her.

"What did I tell you? This is gonna hurt..." She yelled as she cracked her knuckles. Peridot didn't back down. Instead, she pulled off her visor, her gem glowing as she placed her hands over it. In them formed two green, ailen looking blaster pistols.

Jasper looked confused.

"What's this eh? I thought Peridot's didn't have weapons."

Peridot scoffed, gritting her teeth and pulling up her guns. She fired the first shot, of which Jasper easily dodged. However, she had anticipated this, and fired the second shot in the direction she dodged in, blasting her shoulder.

Jasper cried out in pain, gripping her wound and charging at Peridot. She didn't make it all the way there, for a blast of water knocked her off her feet. She tumbled to the other side of the barn, Lapis shakily standing and gazing at her green counterpart.

"Peri? You have... those?"

"I just got them. Let's finish this."

Jasper got back up, looking at the both of them, growling.

"I'm not going to let you go just because you got a little buff." she said, running at them. In one swift motion, Lapis knocked her off balance with a blast of water to the legs, and Peridot fired into her face, shattering her helmet and cracking her gem.

She howled in pain, but Lapis would hear none of it. She made another water hand, crushing her, and effectivley poofing her.

"It's over..." she said, looking over to Peridot panting. Peridot ran over to her, desummoning her weapons and resummoning her visor just as she collapsed. Peridot caught her, laying her down with ease, as to not hurt her any further. She had scrapes and bruises all over her body. She herself had the same injuries all over, but she cared far less for herself.

"Lapis, are you alright?" She called softly, her hand still supporting her head.

"I'm fine." She said, smiling. "Are you?"

A tear fell from her cheek and onto the dirt below them. She found herself quoting her former prisoners.

"Who cares?" the green gem responded, closing her eyes, more tears flowing down her face.

"Steven, the Gems... Me. I care." Lapis said, wincing as she sat up to take her turn at wiping away Peridot's tears. "Thank you so much. I coudn't do it own my own."

"I couldn't have either. Jasper is a warrior. I'm just an engineer."

"Yeah but you've got a knack for shooting. If I didn't know any better I'd say you'd been practicing."

They both let out a hearty laugh, holding each other tightly, despite the pain it brought them. They squeezed each other for a moment before pulling back, Lapis resting her hand on Peridot's cheek. This time, she was the one to catch Lapis' hand. They stared at each other silently for a few seconds before Lapis leaned in and pressed her lips against Peridot's, closing her eyes.

The green gem's eyes widened as her cheeks completley flushed deep green. Lapis' lips were soft and tender, and somehow... intoxicating. Peridot leaned in with her, eyes closing slowly as she took her hand. Her mind went blank. The only thing she could focus on was holding on to this for as long as she could.

That wasn't long. Lapis pulled away after a few moments, leaving Peridot completley stunned, eyes opened halfway.

"I-I'm sorry, Was that wrong?" She spoke clearly and gently, a smile on her now burning face.

"N-no, I don't... think so." Peridot responded, gripping her hand tightly.

"Well, I think that's how you're supposed to do it anyway." The watery gem said, nervously brushing her hair with her hands.

"I think..."

"Think what?"

"I think I..."

"Come on, spit it out Peri."

Peridot gulped, not sure of how to word it. But after a kiss like that there was nothing that she could say that could ruin this high they were both on.

"I think..." She began, "That even though our traits are.. mismatched, nono, I mean, you, lazuli are... we are... you... are the gem that I would... most... like to be alongside to... not... be caught by homeworld and be harvested gruesomley?"

Okay, that might have killed the mood a little bit.

"N-no wait!" She continued, nervously sputtering any words she could think of, "That's n-not what I meant! I mean it is what I meant but I shouldn't have said it that way but it didn't really get the po-"

"Peri." Lapis interrupted, giggling at her flustered rambles. "It's okay. I love you too."

Peridot sat still for a moment, her brain still trying to register what just came out of her mouth, and when it finally did, she jumped into Lapis, their lips crashing together as she fell back. The engineer held her kiss for a moment before tears began to run down her cheeks again. She broke to let out a few happy sobs, Lapis smiling and petting her head softly as they wrapped their arms around one another.

This time, they held each other until sunrise without interruption

* * *

 **Wowie, that got done quicker than I thought. Don't worry, the story isn't quite over yet. Anyway, tell me what you think, I appreciate the small following this story has gotten! I't really cool to think that people actually will add this story to their favorites list. Thanks to everyone who has read so far. I'll post more soon. Bai Baii!**


	7. Home is Wherever You Are

Peridot felt a warmth hit her back. It was refreshing, but she didn't know where it was coming from. In fact, she couldn't make out much of anything. It was dark, and all her senses seemed to have been nullified, at least somewhat. Faintly, she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Peri, hey. Peri. Periii."

Her eyes shot open as she jumped slightly.

"H-huh, wha?" she said dazed, blinking a few times to adjust her blurry eyes. In front of her was Lapis, smiling dimly as the sun bounced off her radiant skin.

"You fell asleep. Funny, I didn't even know gems could fall asleep like that." she said.

"Sleep? Such as... how Steven rests at night? But why? I've never slept before."

Lapis gave little but a giggle and a shrug in response. They were sitting upright, arms still intertwined. As Peridot realized this, a tint of green spread across her face. Memories of the night before came rushing back to her, things she beleived she would never do.

"Good morning." Lapis whispered to her, interrupting her train of thought.

The green gem let out a chuckle. "Good morning, Lapis."

They sat in silence for a few moments, not quite sure of what to say. That is, until Lapis gazed behind them at the cracked Jasper.

"we need to bring her to the Crystal Gems. They'll bubble her." Peridot said.

"Bubble?" The watery gem asked, getting ready to stand up.

"Yes. They... did it to me when I was against them."

"They trapped you? I'm sorry, Peri..."

"No, I don't have any memories of it. All I remember was getting picked up, squeezed, and popped. After, I opened my eyes, my limb enhancers were gone, and I was in the temple of the Crystal Gems."

Lapis shuddered at the thought of being squashed like some kind of bug. Though, she supposed that she did the same thing to Jasper. She stood up, holding Peridot as she did and set her down on her feet. She reluctantly let go of her and walked over to Jasper's gem, picking it up.

"Come on. Let's get to the Gems." She said lowly as Peridot walked behind her.

Peridot didn't respond. She was still a bit flustered from the night before. She didn't know what to make of it. They had exchanged words and kisses, but it felt so surreal that she doubted it actually ever happened. That was, until Lapis crouched down and gave her a soft, quick kiss. Peridot blushed as her lips tingled. She didn't want to stop, but she understood the importance of getting Jasper to the Gems.

* * *

Steven rubbed his eyes. He hadn't slept last night, and it was really beginning to show. He yawned constantly, and his marathon of Crying Breakfast Buddies got kind of boring after the seventh episode.

His eyes closed as he layed on his bed, sinking into the warm, soft sheets. He began to doze off, but just before he succame to sleep, there was a knock on the door. He jolted out of bed, drowsily yelling "I'm comiiiing," just before falling down the steps and in front of the door. Despite the pain he felt from tumbling down the jagged wood, he still managed to laugh it off and open the door. At it were Lapis and Peridot.

"Hey Lapis! Peridot! Why are you here?" Steven asked, blinking a few times to adjust his eyes to the light.

"Hey there, Steven." Lapis said with a smile. "We need you to bubble something and give it to the gems."

"Well what is it?" Steven asked. Lapis responded by handing him Jasper's gem.

"What is this?"

"Jasper."

Steven gasped. "She's cracked. What happened?"

Peridot scoffed and smiled. "Let me tell you what happened."

* * *

"And then Jasper was all like, 'Get back on the ground!' and I was like 'Nah, I'm good.' so I got up and PEW PEW brought out these swEET laser blasters, and Lapis and I just took her out at ranged."

"Wooooooah Really?! That's awesome, you guys!" Steven said, now criss crossed on the floor with them.

"Yeah. Mostly true." Lapis cooed.

"Mostly? I'll have you know my storytelling is 100% accurate." Peridot yelled, crossing her arms.

"Uhuh." The water gem said,

Steven laughed, holding the newly bubbled gem. "You two seem to be getting along!"

Lapis and Peridot blushed at the statement, giving a bit of a chuckle as they exchanged glances.

"I... Yeah. I guess you could say that." Lapis said meekly. Steven looked a bit confused at their sudden differing body languages, but before he could ponder on it, he heard the warp pad activate. He whipped around to see Garnet appear there with a flash of light.

"Garnet!" He yelled, standing up and running to her. Lapis and Peridot stood up quickly with her presence. Garnet herself chuckled at Steven, noticing the bubbled gem in his hands.

"Is that Jasper?" She asked, kneeling down with a straight face.

"Uhuh! Lapis and Peridot beat her up!"

Garnet stood back up, grabbing the bubble and warping it to the inner temple. After, she looked to the duo standing in the floor of the living room.

"Good job, you two. I'm impressed. Jasper was a difficult fight, even for me."

"No one said it was easy." Peridot mumbed, rubbing her still sore arms. Lapis softly ushered a soothing touch to her arm, as to show concern. It didn't do much good, but the green gem flashed a smile to show she appreciated the gesture.

"What happened?" She asked, walking over to them.

"Weeeellll," Peridot said, flashing a snarky, confident grin. "It started when-"

"She showed up Peri got blasters and we beat her." Lapis said, interrupting.

"Blasters?" Garnet asked, to which Steven also tuned in, "Yeah, can you show us?"

"I most certainly can," Peridot said as she removed her visor, handing it to Lapis and swiping her hand over her gem. Nothing happened.

"Huh?" Peridot grumbled, squeezing the air with her hands. "Hold on, that wasn't..." She swiped her hand over her gem again, but again, nothing happened. Growing emberassed, she frantically swiped back and forth.

"Go! Summon! Blasters!" She yelled, blushing and sweating a bit.

Lapis chuckled. "She did summon them. I can verify."

Garnet nodded. "You probably just summoned them in the heat of the moment. You'll need more practice to be able to summon at will."

By this time, Peridot had stopped trying and slipped her visor back on, clearing her throat.

"Yes I... knew that."

The other three chuckled at her.

"Well, we should get back to the barn. We'll see you guys later." Lapis said, turning to the door.

"Yes! Indeed!" the green gem said, turning to the door, still a bit emberassed by her failure. Garnet and Steven waved goodbye with a smile.

"Bye guys!" Steven yelled, chuckling. Peridot cleared the doorway, and Lapis began to walk toward it, but Garnet stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

"Lapis." She said, still wearing her same expression.

"Uh, yes?" Lapis asked, a bit weirded out.

"Give her the night to think. She'll say yes."

Lapis raised an eyebrow, looking even more weirded out and confused than before.

"Uh, right." She said before walking through the door. "Bye."

Peridot was already on the beach, waiting for her. She was gazing out to the Ferris wheel of which poked out above Beach City. Lapis noticed this as she walked down the steps of the beach house. When she got to her, she softly asked, "What is that?"

"Some kind of ride from that 'Amusement Park' that Steven kept talking about. It seemed rather... strange."

"Wanna go?" the blue gem asked, taking her hand. Peridot blushed as their fingers intertwined.

"But... we don't have any means of entry. If I'm not mistaken we need human currency to enter." Her green counterpart added.

"We can think of something." She responded, walking toward it with her.

* * *

The gate was open to everyone. People flooded in and out, talking with loud, hearty voices. Lapis chuckled nervously seeing the crowds.

"Ehehe, maybe... this wasn't such a good idea." She said, gripping her arms.

"We're already here, let's just go in and see what it's all about." Peridot said as she began to walk forward, still gripping her hand tightly. Lapis didn't argue or resist, but any sensable person would be able to tell that she was highly uncomforatable.

Peridot looked past the crowds of people lining the straight dock which held the rides. People waled with no order, simple pushing through crowds and standing in lines for bigger rides. Every which way she saw signs that said "2 tickets required," or "4 tickets required." She saw that near the gate there was a booth that said "Tickets" on it, so she began walking in that direction. Luckily, it was away from the crowds, so Lapis eased up a bit.

"It seems we need to procure these "Tickets" to try these "Rides." We can get them over here." Peridot said, pointing to the booth. Lapis nodded, looking around at all the people. She didn't know if she could be here for long.

"Excuse me," Peridot said as she neared the booth. The man inside was asleep, his head on the desk next to the roll of tickets. Peridot was about to wake him, but she read in the background "$1- 4 tickets"

"It looks like we do need money." Lapis said nervously, rubbing her hair. "Alright. Looks like we don't have any. We should go."

"I'm interested in this place. Let's just.." She said as she tore a line of tickets off of the roll.

"Peri!" Lapis yelled, "Put those back! You have to pay for those!"

"It's only 12 tickets. It's not like they're missing them." Peridot said, looking away.

Lapis grunted, knowing that she wasn't going to leave until those tickets were spent. She didn't want to leave her alone, though, and she figured that 12 tickets could only go so far...

* * *

"Bumper cars?" The watery gem asked as she moved to the front of the line with her green counterpart.

"It looks like you get in them... and battle it out to see who will come out on top!" She yelled, getting to the ticket collector.

"You two goin in together?" he asked, looking at them.

"Yes. We are." Lapis answered.

"Four tickets." He said, reaching his sweaty, hairy hand out to collect them. Peridot took the tickets and dropped them in his hand, making sure as to not touch him. After, they stepped into the battle grounds, which were dotted with cars. Peridot ran to the nearest green one, jumping in with a smug grin. Lapis couldn't help but smile at her, and got into the red car next to hers.

"How do you work this thing?" She asked, tilting her head.

"You just press the pedal down and move the wheel."

"It's not working!"

"We have to wait for it to start."

And so they did, as children and adults alike got in other cars. A noise resounded once everyone was seated and the cars began to vibrate. Lapis, who had kept her foot on the pedal the whole time, shot forward with a screech.

"PERRIIIIIIII" She yelled as she crashed into another car.

Peridot laughed and drove her car into the madness, a wide grin on her face.

* * *

"Let's go again!" Peridot yelled as they exited the ride. Lapis was a bit shaken by the experience, but it didn't influence her decision.

"Don't you want to expreriment with more rides? You've only got 12 tickets." She said.

"Yeah, you're right." the small gem said, looking around at all the rides. What caught her attention was the spinning swings.

"What about that one?" She asked, walking to it. Lapis followed close behind, sticking to Peridot especially in thick crowds. The ride she pointed to was almost like a flight simulation. The people wold be strapped in and spun around on bungie cords. Surprisingly, it looked fun.

Four tickets and a long line later, they were being strapped in. Peridot and lapis were on two side by side cords, the same as other pairs who went in together. The men finished strapping them and the other participants in before starting the ride slow.

"This isn't too bad, we're just spinning." Lapis said with a giggle.

"Yes, the wind feels-" Peridot was interrupted by the sudden jerk of the chords, sending them almost parallel to the ground as they spun at a speed topping 30mph.

"WHAT IS THIIIIIIIISSSSS" She yelled, gripping the cord tightly.

"Fun!" Lapis yelled, extending her arms and laughing as the wind hit her face,

"HOW CAN YOU ENJOY THIS WE COULD FLY OFF AT ANY SECOND!"

"I can just fly away!"

"I CAN'T!"

* * *

Peridot set her shaky feet on solid ground once more, breathing heavy as her usually triangular shaped hair had morphed and conformed to... well, something. It looked more like a bird's nest than anything else.

"Come on Peri, it wasn't that bad" Lapis said, fixing her hair back to which it once was. Peridot shook her head quickly and gulped.

"Never. Again." She whispered, walking out of the ride area.

"Alright, alright. Let's go on something more tame. What about that ferris... wheel? Is that what they call it?"

"Anything but what we were just on!"

* * *

By the time the line was up, it was sunset. The duo stood in line patiently, Lapis not really minding the wait because the line was straight and orderly. She didn't feel cramped, and with Peridot holding her hand, the wait wasn't that bad. They gave their last four tickets to the man, loading onto a cart in the ride. It swayed with their movements, which made Peridot a bit nervous, but she supposed that if the ride was still here, it must have been safe.

The ride moved a bit to let the next couple on. Peridot and Lapis sat opposite of each other, trying to balance their weight so that the cart wouldn't flip over.

"When will this thing actually start?" Lapis asked as the cart moved up a bit further.

"When all the spots are full." Peridot replied. They were one of the last ones on, so it only took a couple more carts for the ride to kick off. They started lifting up and forward. By this time, the sky was painted orange, coating beach city dimly as it began to fade away into the night. Lapis gazed out over the city, smiling.

"Wow, it's... pretty." She said softly. Peridot looked out over the town, taking note of the undeniable beauty in front of them. It was funny how Lapis seemed to show her the beauty of the planet she had originally loathed for its simplicity. But the more she stayed here, the more she admired it. It really was nice, leading a life that wasn't just "Serve serve serve."

"Funny to think. There are places like this all over the world." Lapis said, still gazing over the city as the ride peaked, sending them downward slowly.

Peridot looked back to her. She looked dreamily over the railing, and with a smile, she turned to her.

"I want to see them. Wouldn't that be cool?" Lapis said, tilting her head. Peridot straightened up, thinking for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess it would be..." the green gem responded, scratching her head.

"I've been thinking about it every day since I moved in. I think I'm going to go see it. Exploring beach city has kinda left me wondering what else Earth has to offer." the blue gem said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the mid table.

"What?" Peridot yelled as the ferris wheel completed its first rotation. "You're just going to... to go?"

"I want you to come with me." Lapis added, grabbing her hand. Peridot interlocked their fingers, but didn't speak for a few moments.

"I..." Peridot started, sighing. "I don't think I want to leave Beach City. I've grown... fond of this place. It's starting to really feel like home. Can we just stay?"

Lapis' smile faded as she raised an eyebrow.

"You won't leave at all?" she asked, her voice softening.

"I don't... think I want to."

Lapis sighed, looking back over the city.

"I'm going to explore the Earth."

"Nothing will make you... stay here? Not even.. me?" Peridot asked, putting a hand to her chest, looking a bit upset.

"I'll come back every week or so to visit, if you want."

Peridot pulled back, pulling her hand away from Lapis'.

"I don't want to be alone."

"Then come with me."

"Just stay!" Peridot yelled, tears welling up in her eyes. "You told me that you... Loved.. me, last night. Now, you just want to leave me back at the barn and go off and do whatever it is you do!"

Lapis was taken aback by her sudden outburst. She had been calmly trying to get her to come, but that had apparently upset her beyond measure.

"I dont-!" Lapis started, raising her voice, but quickly realizing that she was yelling and stopped herself. "I don't... want to leave you here. I want you to come with me."

"If you really love me, you'll... stay here. With me! At the barn." Peridot said softly, yet still angrily.

"If you love me then you'll just let me leave!" Lapis yelled, balling up her fists. She was no longer trying to keep her emotions in.

"It's not like I can stop you! You're going to go no matter what I do!"

By now, people in the other carts had turned to see what was going on.

"Why can't you just understand, that I don't want to leave you! But I can't let you trap me here!" Lapis Lazuli yelled, fluffing her fingers into her hair. A tear began to roll down her cheek. Peridot began to say something back to her, but when she saw her tears she stopped all hostilities and reached for her, scooting in her direction.

"Lapis, no, I'm... I'm sorry I-"

"I don't want to hear it!" She yelled, wiping her tear away, which was soon replaced by another, and another that quickly rolled down to her chin. "Just stop! I'm leaving, find your own way home!"

Lapis stood up and grew her water wings before jetting into the sky, rocking the cart with the force of her takeoff.

"Lapis!" Peridot yelled, gripping onto the cart as to not fall. Her cries fell on deaf ears.

* * *

Lapis practically crashed into the yard of the barn in a flurry of sobs. She landed on her hands and knees, crawling to the wall in which she layed against to stargaze at night. Hey eyes weren't focused on the stars tonight, though. The tears made it hard to see much of anything. She leaned against the wall, curled her legs up and let out all of her fury and sadness into her fist, connecting with the side of the barn and breaking a hole next to her.

"Dammit Peri! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" she screamed to the nothingness before her, holding her head and pulling her hair. "Everywhere I go is a prison. And now, NOW, you're just trying to lock me away again. I can leave, I can leave, but not without making you hate me. So What am I supposed to do?!"

Peridot didn't come home that night.

* * *

Morning came, and The sunlight had begun to breach it's way to the barn, into Lapis' weary eyes. She didn't blink, just wore that same, dull, tired expression on her face.

She was leaving soon. She wouldn't visit anymore. She would just try to forget. Yeah, forget the only gem that she'd ever loved. Still loved, madly. She'd think of her every day, every night. But she couldn't be held here anymore. Not now, not ever again.

She stood up, basking in the warmth of the sun, looking over the barn one last time. At the trees, the grass, the little green dorito running toward her...

Wait wait, that last part wasn't normally there.

"LAPPIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS" Peridot yelled, huffing and puffing as she ran as fast as she could.

Lapis winced. She had hoped she would stay away. She couldn't bear to leave her side again.

"Lapis!" She yelled as she ran right up to her, hugging her at her midsection.

"Peri, I'm sorry." Lapis said, choking on her own words. "I have.. I have to-"

"Bring me along!" Peridot yelled, holding onto her tighter.

"I thought you just wanted to stay here, at home." Lapis said, her eyes open wide. "Isn't that what you want? Don't let me take your new home away from you."

"You... I.." Peridot said, backing up off her a bit, searching for the right words. "I don't care about this place. I just, well, I really want to.. Home... Home is wherever you are."

Lapis dropped to her knees, holding Peridot's cheeks. She took a deep breath, shakily holding back tears. "I won't take you places you don't want to go!"

"I don't want to be anywhere unless you're there!" Peridot yelled, her arms dropping to her sides. "I don't want to be alone. I just want to be with you. Please, I'm so, so sorry about last night!"

Lapis' lip began to quiver.

"This isn't like you, Peri." She whispered. "You don't usually apologize like this."

"I've never been so scared to loose someone before." She whispered back, a tear falling down her cheek.

Lapis pulled her into a kiss, their lips crashing together, neither making a sound. They held the kiss for what felt like hours, pulling each other as close as they could possibly be to one another, gripping on tightly.

After a time, they pulled back, breathing heavily. Lapis pressed her forehead against hers, fogging her visor with her breath. They stayed that way for a few moments before pulling apart from each other.

"Where are we going?" Peridot asked, gripping Lapis' hand.

Lapis stared her in the eyes and laughed, her voice getting hoarse. "I don't know. Let's just find out."

"That way?" Peridot asked, pointing toward the forest. Lapis shrugged and giggled. "Sure." She said. "And if we get tired of traveling, we can come back home anytime."

Peridot chuckled, rubbing her eyes.

"I already told you, Lazuli-"

"Home is wherever you are" Lapis interrupted, making Peridot giggled.

"Quit interrupting me, you Clod!" She yelled, eyes closed and smiling.

"Quit being so boring and I won't have to talk about more interesting things!" Lapis said playfully, picking her up and laughing with her, kissing her cheek a few times.

"H-hey! Stop that!" She giggled, blushing.

"Climb on my back, come on!" the watery gem said, smiling.

Peridot climbed on and squeezed her tightly, smiling as she burrowed her face into her back. Lapis wasted no time in taking off, confidently striding out over the forest. Off to see the world. Off to adventure. Off, together.

* * *

 **It's Done! This is the final chapter of this story. However, I may do a continuation of this story in ANOTHER fanfic, like a... sequel or something. Thank you all so much for positive feedback, for your follows and your favorites. It means a lot. If you want to see a continuation, post a review and tell me in it. That's the best way for me to know. Thanks everyone! Bai Baii!**

 **Update: The sequel is now out! Read it here (** **s/12033092/1/A-Thousand-Stars-LapisXPeridot )**


End file.
